Heel-breasting machine



R. C. SIMMONS.

' HEEL BREASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20. 19l9.

1,428,748, PatentedJuly 25, 1922-.

, 2 SHEETSSHEET l. I 91 54 60 7 76 765 93155 R. C. SIMMONS.

HEEL BREASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20. 1919.

Patented J 1113725, 1922 1 2 SHEET$-=SHEET 2.

' FFICE.

RALPH C. SIMMONS, OF BEVERLY, MASSACIHIUSTE'JFTS ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH C. SIMMONS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Heel-Breasting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures. I

This invention relates to machines for breasting the heels of boots and shoes and particularly to work positioning means for such machines.

A machine inextensive use'for this work comprises a shoe support, a breasting knife, and means for relatively moving the support and knife in the directionof the height of the heel to cause the knife to remove a chip from the breast face of the heel, the cut terminating at the shank of the sole. Machines of this type are usually provided with a tread plate to engage the tread face of the heel, and the front edge of the plate is employed as a gage for indicating where the out of the knife will take place relatively to the heel. it is incumbent upon the operative however, to position the heel longitud'ially to cause the proper amount to be removed from the breast end of the heel. This position is determined by the eye, and hence a considerable length allowance of the heelhas to be provided so as not to require the operator to expend time and patience in positioning the heel with great accuracy. The lateral swing of the shoe, which may vary for right and left'shoes, is readily determined by comparing the position of the heel of the shoe with the front edge of the tread plate or by observing the position of the :Eorepart relatively to a toe rest.

Objects of the invention are to provide means by which the longitudinal position of the heel relatively to the knife will be accurately and uniformly determined so that a thin chip only need by removed from the heel breast and by which the capacity of the shoe to be swung laterally to right or left, if such movement is desired, is retained.

ri'further object isto provide simple and effective mechanism for this purpose which will require little attention on the part of H ELBREAS TING MACHINE.

Specification of ItettersPatent. Patented J {11y 25, 1922,

1919. Serial NO. 305,583.

the operator and will increase the capacity of the machine;

A featureof the invention consists in an organization including a work support and a knife arranged for relative movement in the direction of the height of the heel, combined with a gage to engage the central portion only of the top part of the breast of the heel at each Side of its longitudinal median line and limit its movement longi tudinally toward the knife. Preferably the gage consists of a member arranged for movement in the longitudinal median plane of the shoe into and out of operative positionto arrest longitudinal movement of the heel, and means is provided for moving the gage out of operative position while the breasting operation is being performed. As shown herein a tread plate for engaging the tread face of the heel is provided and a hooked gage member is mounted on the tread, plate adjacent to its front edge for movement into and out of operative position. When in operative position the hook engages the central portion of the breast face of the toplift and limits the longitudinal movement of the shoe toward the knife. During'operation of the knife the hook is moved in the longitudinal median plane of the shoe-out of the path of the knife, allowing a predetermined portion of the breast to be removed by the knife.

This and other features of the invention, including an improved knife stop foot, important details of construction and novel combinations of parts, will appear more fully from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,-

Fig. l is a perspective view of the upper portion of a heel breasting machine embody ing the present invention, the view showing the side and rear of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of

the stop hook operating mechanism;

I Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine; and

i Fig. stop.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 represents the upper portion of a well-known commercial type 4 is a sectional detail of the knife of heel .breasting' machine known as the Imperial heel breasting machine. In the frame 2 of the machine mounted for 'verti-' calvreciprocation are two slides. slide 4, referred to herein as the knife slide, carries a holder 6 in which a knife 8 is held. To the front of the slide 4 an'apron 10 is attached which has an arm. 12 connected by a counterbalancing spring 14 to a projection 15 fixed to the frame. The rear or actuating slide (not shown) is reci'procated by a crank and connecting rod and is normally locked to the knife slide to actuate thelatter. Means for releasing the knife slide from its actuating slide is provided which means includes a lever 20 (Fig. pivoted to the knife slide and having a stop foot 22 ar ranged to engage the shank of the shoe at the proper time during the descent of the knife to cause the actuating slide to be disconnected from the knife slide and the cut ting action of the knife to be arrested.

The shoe is supported as usual upon a jack having a last pin 30 and, if desired,a toe rest 32, the jack being movable lengthwise of the shoe to carry the shoe into and out of operative relation. to the knife. The tread face of the heel is located by the in ward movement of the jack under a tread plate 34 which normally is located slightly above'the heel. The plate 34 has a headed stud 36 which engages a T-slot in a block 38. The plate 34 is held in adjusted position upon the block longitudinally of the shoe by a thumb screw 40 which engages a slot 42 in the plate and is threaded into the block The block 38 is pivoted at 44 to a slide 46 arranged for vertical movement in a bracket 48 on the machine frame. A. screw is threaded through the slide 46 anden gges an upv'al'd extension 37 on the block 38 to limit upward tilting of the block and the block is held against the screw by a spring 39 connected between pins on the extension 37 and a projection 47 on the slide 46. The slide 46 is pivotally connected at 49 to a lever 50 fnlcrunled at 52 on the frame and yieldingly connected by a spring to a, rod 54 which at its lower end is attachcd to the operating treadle of the machine so that the lever may be operated by the treadle to bring the plate 34 yieldingly against the heel before the machine is started. Furtl'icr movement of the treadle, permitted by the spring 53, sets the machine in operation. The purpose of bringing the tread plate $34 into contact with the heel withjlight pressure is to permit the heel to be positioned relatively to the front edge 56 of the plate which serves as a to indicate the l ne along which the breasting cut will be maiilc.

The longitudinal portion of the shoe is determined. in the present construction, by a gage 6U located midway of the br lst in a lateral direction and preferably engag- The front ing only the toplift of the heel. The toplift is usually compressed and of substantially the length required for the heel so that only a light shaving needbe removed from the toplift. The gage 60 has a hooked end 62 to engage the upper edge of the top lift and is "mounted for movement in a vertical plane on a shaft 64 to, which it is fixed.

which is a cylindrical recess containing a spring 80. A collar 82 on the screw 76 bears against the spring 80 and a screw cap 84 prevents outward movement of the collar 82. The screw 76 is nrovided at its rear end with a thumb head 86 by which it may be turned relatively to adjust the block 74 and slide68 lengthwise of the slide. On the block 74 is a pin 88 which engages a vertical slot 90 formed in an arm 91 of an angle lever (Fig. pivoted at 92 on a bracket 94 which is adjustably secured by screws 96 to the machine frame. The other arm 98 of the angle lever is shorter than the arm 91 and engages a notch 100 in a blade 102whi'ch is adjustabl connected at 104 to an upwardly projecting arm 106 formed on the apron 10 which, as described, is carried by the knife slide 4.

In the'operation of the machine the heel ofthe shoeis swung beneath the tread plate 34 and the treadle operated tolower the tread plate intocontact with the tread face of the heel. During this movement the pin 88 moves in the vertical slot 90 and no movement is imparted to the gage 60 which normally is in the position shown in Fig. 3 with its hooked end projecting'below the lower face of the tread plate in position to engage the breast face of the toplift at its laterally central portion. After the tread plate 34 has engaged the heel the operator moves the shoe forwardlyuntil the shoe is arrested by the hook 62 of the gage which limits the longitudinal movement of the heel. may then, if necessary, swing thetoe portion of the shoe to bring the corners ofthe heel into proper relation to the edge 56 of the tread plate 84. Having done this, the treadle is further depressed to start the machine. As the knife slide starts to move downwardly the notch 100 acts upon thearm 98,turning it about the center 92 and causing the arm 91 to move the pin 88 rearwardly and also, through the mechanism described, the slide 68 in the same direction. The rack 67 on the slide 68 acts on the pinion 66 to turn the shaft 64.-

in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 3)'

and hence moves the gage 60 in a vertical plane away from the heel and out of the way of the knife which continues to descend and breast the heel, its action being arrested as usual by engagement of the foot 22 with the shank of the shoe. It will be noticed that the notch 100 in the bladel02 is shallow and that after the blade has imparted a slight movement to the short arm 98 the end of the arm 98 will leave the notch 100 and will slide along a vertical edge 110 formed on the blade 102. This holds the gage 60 out of operative position during the descent of the knife and until it has returned nearly to its original vertical position, when a face 112 of the blade 102 engages the lower side of the lever 98 and restores the gage 60 to operative posi tion. When the operator removes his foot from the treadle the plate 34 is raised, permitting the shoe tobe swung out of the machine without interference with the hook 62.

Should the operator, in positioning the shoe, enough to clear the hook 62 before depressing the tread plate 34, the hook will yield upwardly topermit the tread plate to engage the shoe. This yielding is permitted by the spring 80 which, as shown in Fig. 2, will permit the slide 68 to move rearwardly without movement of the pin 88. The operator may then move the heel rearwardly to position it properly, whereupon the hook 62 will be moved by the spring 80 into operative position in front of the breast. To permit adjustment of the plate 34 lon tudinally of the heel without disturbing t e connections which operate the gage 60, the screw 76 and block 7% are provided. By loosening the thumb screw and then turning the thumb head 86, the plate 34 may be adjusted longitudinally of the heel relatively to the knife, the block 74 remaining stationary, of course, and the plate'and operative connections to thegage being moved bodily.

Another function of the spring-80 and adjustment 86 is this: Frequently the machine is so adjusted that it stops at a point just before the crank reaches its upper dead center and hence when the machine starts there is a slight upward movement of the knife slide before. it" begins to descend.

With the construction described the thumb,

head 86 may be turned to move the hook 62 into operative position where its movement is limited by an underlying portion of the plate 341-. \Vhen the machine starts this slight movement of lever arm '91 to the rightas the crank approaches dead center will merely compress the spring. 80

fail to move the heel rearwardly far without materially effecting the movement scends. v

In Fig. at is shown in detail the construction of the stop which engages the shoe shank to arrest the knife. The part or foot 22'is provided with a facing 21 of leather or other suitable material and is pivoted at 23 in the bifurcated lower end ofa stem 25. The stem 25 has teeth 27 which are engaged by a worm 29 mounted on the lever 20. By turning .the worm 29 the stem '25 may be adjusted vertically. Extending longitudinally through the stemand threaded therein for part of its length is a screw 31 which engages at its lower end a face 33 on the foot 22, the point of contact of the screw 31 with the foot being somewhat at one side of the center of the pivot 23. By turning the screw 31 the foot may be swung on its pivot 23 and hence the position of the shank engaging end of the foot varied longitudinally of the shoe. Any change in vertical position of the end of the foot occasioned by this adjustment may be compensated for by adjusting the stem 25 vertically. I

Having thus described my invention,

what I claimas new and'desire to secure by.

Letters Patent of the United States is;

1. In a machine of the class described. the combination of a reciprocating knife, a shoe support, a tread plate, and means arranged to engage the central portion only of the breast end of the toplift on each-side of the longitudinal median line of a heel, located against the'tread plate. i

. 2. In a machine of theclass described, the combination of breasting means, a shoe support, a tread plate, a hook nounted on the tread.- plate and ;;'constructed {an (1; arranged to be positioned to engage the central portion of the breast face of the heel resting against the tread plate, means for operating the breasting means, andpositively acting means for removing .the hook from the path of the breasting, meansw g c 3. In a machine of the class described.- the combinationof breasting'means. a shoe support, a tread plate arranged to be. pressed breasting knife, a tread plate arranged on the same side ofthe heel as the knife, a stop carried by the treadplate having an abutment face to be engaged by the breast face of the toplift of a'heel, said stop being constructed andarranged to yield to pressure of the heel if brought in contact with the tread face of the heel and to locate the heel properly longitudinally when its breast is positioned against it, and means for moving the stop out of the way of the knife prior to engagement of the heel and knife.

5, In a machine of the class described, the

combination of 'breasting means," a shoe support, means for moving relatively the shoe and breasting means to effect the breasting operation, a tread plate, means carried bythe treadplate to engage the central portion only of the breast end of thetoplift of a heel located against the tread plate, and means for removing the breast end engaging means from operative position during said relative movement.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of breasting means, a shoe support, a tread plate, a hook mounted on the tread plate and constructed and arranged to be positioned to engage the ceiitra lportion of the breast face of a heel'resting against the tread plate, means for operating the breasting means, and meansfor removing the hook from the path of the reasting means.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of breasting means, a shoe support, a tread plate, a single book pivoted over and arranged in the lateral center of the face of the tread plate and normally positioned to engage the central portion of the breast face of a heel resting against the tread plate to locate the heel longitudinally and permit swinging of the shoe in either direction in a. plane parallel to the heel engaging face of the tread plate, means for operating the breasting means, and means for removing the hook from the path of the breasting means.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of breasting means, a shoe support, a tread plate, a hook mounted on the tread plate and normally positioned to engage the top portion of the center only of the breast of a heelpositioned against the tread plate, and means for moving the hook in the longitudinal median plane of the shoe out of the way of the breasting means to allow the heel to be breasted. I

9. In a machine of the class described, the combinationof breasting means, a tread plate, a hook mounted on the tread plate and arranged. when the machine is at rest, to engage the center only of the toplift of a heel pressed against the tread'plate and to determine the longitudinal position of the heel relatively to the breasting means, and means for moving the hook away from the toplift during the breasting operation to permit the breasting means to act uponthe toplift and heel. V a

10. Ina machine of the class described; the combination of breasting means, a tread plate, a 11001; mounted on the tread; plate and arranged, when the machine is at rest.

to engage the center of the toplift of a heel pressed against the tread plate. and to determine the longitudinal position of the heel relativelyto the breasting means While permitting lateral movement of the shoe about the hook as a center, and means for moving the hook away from the toplift during the breasting operation to permit the breastin means to act upon the :toplift and heel.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife slide, a shoe support, a. tread plate, a hook mounted on the tread plate and normally positioned to engage thebreastof a heel positioned against thetread plate, and positive connections between the knife slide and the hook for movng the hook in: the longitudinal median plane of the shoe out of the way of the breasting -means to allow the heel to be breasted) a 1:2. In a heel breasting machine, the combination of a knife slide, a knife carried thereby, a tread plate, a hook mounted on. the tread plate and arranged, when the machine is at rest, to engage a heel pressed against the tread plate and to determine the longitudinal position of the heel relatively to the knife, operative connections between theknifeslideand the hook acting yieldingly in one directionand actingpositively for inovingthe hook away from the heel during the breasting operation, and means for adjustingthe plate and hook longitudina-lly of the heel without. disturbing said operative connections. l

13. In a: machine of the class described, the combination of breast-mg means, a. tread plate having a gaging edge, a hook mounted on th tread plate centrally of said edge and arranged. when the machine is at rest, to engage the breast end of a heel pressed against the tread plate and to determine the longitudinal position of the heel relativelyto said edge, means for moving the hook into inoperative position and away from the toplitt dur the breasting. operation to permit the breastingmeansto act upon the toplift and heel, and yielding means to allow the hook to stop while movement of the hook moving means continues in a direction to move the hook into operative position.

1 14; In a machine of the class described, a knife stop for engaging the shoe shank comprising a. stem arranged for vertical adjustment, a foot pivoted to the stem, anda screw threaded through the stem and having its end arranged to engage a surface of the-foot at oneside of its pivot adjustment of the screw causing angular movement of said foot in the longitudinal median plane of the SllOG'. l

i 15. In a machine of the class described, a knife stop for engaging the shoe shank comprising a support, a foot pivoted to the support on an axis extending transversely of the shoe, said foot extending downwardly and toward the heel breast at a substantial angle to the shank, and adjustable means on the support and engaging the foot at a point offset from its pivot, said means being arranged to prevent turning of the foot on its pivot when the foot engages the shank and, by adjustment, to vary the angle of the foot in the longitudinal median plane of the shoe 10 relatively to the shank.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

RALPH C. SIMMONS. 

